Donald Eugene Payne
March 18, 1935 — October 6, 2015
Donald Eugene Payne, 80, of Columbus, GA died Tuesday, October 6, 2015 at Covenant Woods.
Funeral services will be held 3:00 PM Sunday, October 11, 2015 at Pierce Chapel United Methodist Church with Reverend Howard White and Reverend Lynne Meadows-White officiating. A private interment will be held at Ft. Mitchell National Cemetery. The family will receive friends Saturday afternoon from 3:00 to 5:00 PM at McMullen Funeral Home 3874 Gentian Blvd. Columbus, GA 31907.
Donald was born March 18, 1935 to now deceased Harry Lee Payne and Maude Valentine Beacham. He grew up in the home of his paternal grandparents Levi and Hattie Payne, also deceased. His paternal grandfather Beacham was also a mentor to him, and all of these dearly loved him as did he love them.
Donald attended North Highland Elementary School, Columbus Jr. High, and graduated from Jordan Vocational High School. He attended two years at Columbus College and completed the Wood Shop Certificate program at Columbus Tech.
An avid outdoorsman, he especially loved baseball and was an excellent golfer. He hunted and fished really more to be in the wild and enjoy the music of the dogs chasing the rabbits than the kill. When he did kill, it was to eat the catch and not to exploit it.
He married Julia Miles on June 9, 1957 and they enjoyed 58 years of marriage together, the parents of two children who have been a great blessing to them.
Donald served a total of eight years in the Army Reserve, two on active duty in Germany. He was a Morse code radio operator working round the clock shifts. Still he found time to play baseball and be a significant member of the winning regional baseball team.
A man of avid faith, he was active in the Karlshrue Protestant Chapel while in Germany and returned to membership in the Rose Hill Baptist Church upon returning to the US. He was ordained a deacon at Rose Hill Church in 1966 and served in many leadership capacities at various churches through the years where his wife and daughter were/are choir directors and music accompanists. He was a quiet and humble man who served in places where he went unnoticed except by those to whom he ministered.
For thirty years, he was a letter carrier, serving 23 years on the same route to a patronage whom he genuinely cared about and who came to look forward to Saturday afternoon opera concerts coming from his pocket radio. When he retired, the citizens of Cromwell Drive threw a block party for him, showered him with remembrances of his service, and even crowned him "The King of Cromwell Drive."
Since retirement, he continued to enjoy the outdoors, watch baseball, and other sports, serve his church and family faithfully and enjoy telling stories to all who would listen. He was greatly loved and will be sorely missed.
Survivors include his loving wife, Julia Miles Payne of Columbus, GA, daughter, Donna Payne Pounds (Randy) of Butler, GA, son, David Paul Payne (Jenny Chapman Payne) of Columbus, GA, caregiver, Dana Garner of Phenix City, AL, and 7 grandchildren, Marcus de Oliviera, Spenser Payne, Courtney de Oliviera, U.S. Army Sgt. Holly Payne Mulholland (U.S. Army Sgt. James), R. Miles Mauldin, Stewart Payne and Michael de Oliviera.
Flowers will be accepted but those so desiring may make memorial contributions to the Pierce Chapel United Methodist Faith Promise 5122 Pierce Chapel Rd. Midland, GA 31820.
Funeral services will be held 3:00 PM Sunday, October 11, 2015 at Pierce Chapel United Methodist Church with Reverend Howard White and Reverend Lynne Meadows-White officiating. A private interment will be held at Ft. Mitchell National Cemetery. The family will receive friends Saturday afternoon from 3:00 to 5:00 PM at McMullen Funeral Home 3874 Gentian Blvd. Columbus, GA 31907.
Donald was born March 18, 1935 to now deceased Harry Lee Payne and Maude Valentine Beacham. He grew up in the home of his paternal grandparents Levi and Hattie Payne, also deceased. His paternal grandfather Beacham was also a mentor to him, and all of these dearly loved him as did he love them.
Donald attended North Highland Elementary School, Columbus Jr. High, and graduated from Jordan Vocational High School. He attended two years at Columbus College and completed the Wood Shop Certificate program at Columbus Tech.
An avid outdoorsman, he especially loved baseball and was an excellent golfer. He hunted and fished really more to be in the wild and enjoy the music of the dogs chasing the rabbits than the kill. When he did kill, it was to eat the catch and not to exploit it.
He married Julia Miles on June 9, 1957 and they enjoyed 58 years of marriage together, the parents of two children who have been a great blessing to them.
Donald served a total of eight years in the Army Reserve, two on active duty in Germany. He was a Morse code radio operator working round the clock shifts. Still he found time to play baseball and be a significant member of the winning regional baseball team.
A man of avid faith, he was active in the Karlshrue Protestant Chapel while in Germany and returned to membership in the Rose Hill Baptist Church upon returning to the US. He was ordained a deacon at Rose Hill Church in 1966 and served in many leadership capacities at various churches through the years where his wife and daughter were/are choir directors and music accompanists. He was a quiet and humble man who served in places where he went unnoticed except by those to whom he ministered.
For thirty years, he was a letter carrier, serving 23 years on the same route to a patronage whom he genuinely cared about and who came to look forward to Saturday afternoon opera concerts coming from his pocket radio. When he retired, the citizens of Cromwell Drive threw a block party for him, showered him with remembrances of his service, and even crowned him "The King of Cromwell Drive."
Since retirement, he continued to enjoy the outdoors, watch baseball, and other sports, serve his church and family faithfully and enjoy telling stories to all who would listen. He was greatly loved and will be sorely missed.
Survivors include his loving wife, Julia Miles Payne of Columbus, GA, daughter, Donna Payne Pounds (Randy) of Butler, GA, son, David Paul Payne (Jenny Chapman Payne) of Columbus, GA, caregiver, Dana Garner of Phenix City, AL, and 7 grandchildren, Marcus de Oliviera, Spenser Payne, Courtney de Oliviera, U.S. Army Sgt. Holly Payne Mulholland (U.S. Army Sgt. James), R. Miles Mauldin, Stewart Payne and Michael de Oliviera.
Flowers will be accepted but those so desiring may make memorial contributions to the Pierce Chapel United Methodist Faith Promise 5122 Pierce Chapel Rd. Midland, GA 31820.
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